Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 5: Recycle food scraps and compost
• Method 2 of 5: Donate unwanted food
• Method 3 of 5: Throw out non-reusable food
• Method 4 of 5: Keep leftovers for disposal later
• Method 5 of 5: Fighting food waste

People waste a lot of food, whether they eat at home or out of the house. It is important to dispose of food responsibly because it releases methane when it starts to rot. This is a greenhouse gas that is harmful to the environment. Get rid of food by recycling it, by composting organic matter, by giving away what you can spare to charity, and throwing away the rest. You can also take measures to prevent food waste.

To step

Method 1 of 5: Recycle food scraps and compost

1. Compost at home. Composting food is a great way to reduce the amount of food you throw away. It is good for the environment, and it also gives you compost for the garden. Homemade compost can fertilize your soil, which helps with gardening.
   • Use food scraps such as vegetables, fruit, coffee grounds, egg shells, nut shells and tea bags.
   • Do not use the compost pile for meat, dairy or oils.
   • Dispose of the food scraps on cardboard, old newspapers, vegetation, and other organic matter on your compost pile. Then mix it with soil so that the food can break down.
   • If you add anything to the pile, scoop it up with a pitchfork or other tools to give the pile new oxygen. This helps with the composting process.
   • If you don't have a garden, you can still compost at home with a worm bin.
2. Go to your local recycling center. If you don't have the space to compost, or if you'd just prefer not to, you can still get rid of your food scraps properly by taking them to a recycling center. Usually they have ways of processing and composting food scraps there. You can take your leftover food there and give it to someone, or throw it in the appropriate container.
   • Read the recycling center guidelines before visiting.
   • Sometimes you have to separate your waste in a certain way before they accept it.
   • Make sure you know which food scraps they accept and which they don't.
   • For example, they do not accept meat, but they do accept vegetable waste such as fruit and vegetables.
   • You can often get more information from your municipality about recycling centers near you.
3. Use local waste sorting. Depending on where you live, you may be able to use a local waste sorting program run by the municipality. It is increasingly popular among municipalities to give households a small waste bin for leftover food. This is then collected together with the normal waste. In the Netherlands, more and more waste is also collected separately by municipalities.
   • If you are unsure how it works in your area, you can contact the city council to find such a program.
   • Talk to the neighbors to find out if they know more and how you can get involved yourself.
   • In such programs, compostable bags are often also supplied in which you can put your food scraps.

Method 2 of 5: Donate unwanted food

1. Determine which foods are suitable for donation. If there is food in your kitchen cupboard that you are not going to eat, there is a better option than just throwing it away. Donating food donating to local charities, such as a food bank or soup kitchen, is a good way to avoid wasting anything. If you choose this, you must first determine which types of food are suitable for donation.
   • Perishable foods, such as canned vegetables, soup, fish, and meat, are always suitable.
   • Low-sugar grains, peanut butter, raisins, and packets of juice are also always welcome.
   • Avoid giving food in glass jars. This is not always accepted because of its fragility.
   • Remember, you can also ask friends and family if they need anything.
2. Contact local charities. If you know which foods are appropriate to donate, you can look for local charities. Find a food bank or soup kitchen near you and find out how you can donate. On the internet you can find locations of the food bank in the Netherlands, Belgium and the US.
   • There are special apps that help companies donate surplus food.
   • As an individual, it is best to partner with an established local or national institution.
3. Deliver the food. Pack your food carefully and take the packages to the food bank. There you can give them to employees or volunteers. They will be happy to see you and will accept your donation if everything is properly packed and there is no unsuitable food. While you're there, you can immediately learn a little bit more about the work they do there. Usually such organizations are looking for new volunteers to help organize and distribute donations.
   • If you have time to spare, you can choose to volunteer for the institution.
   • There are usually a lot of different options available to volunteers.
4. Donate food from a restaurant. Even if you run a restaurant you can donate food. Contact a local institution and discuss which food you would like to donate. They can then come and collect the food from your restaurant. With such programs you can sometimes even donate perishable food and prepared meals. These are then frozen or delivered immediately to a local shelter.
   • You can also contact a food bank in the Netherlands or Belgium for this. For the US you can find a list of organizations on the website of the United States Department of Agriculture.
5. Donate food from a supermarket. You can also donate surplus food with a supermarket or wholesaler. This works with roughly the same process as for catering companies. You need to contact a local institution and tell them what food you want to donate. The institution will then collect the food from you.
   • If you have an organization with a lot of surplus food, you can partner with a local or national institution.
   • As a partner you can donate food at fixed times, and in some cases this can even give you a tax break.

Method 3 of 5: Throw out non-reusable food

1. Separate food that has gone bad. If you have food that has gone, or will go bad soon, you need to act quickly. You should separate such food from your other waste, put it in a sturdy plastic bag, and then quickly throw it away. It is best to dispose of meat and other quickly rotting foods in the trash on the day of collection. Rotting food attracts vermin and insects.
   • Always put meat and other raw foods in a separate plastic bag before disposing of it in a garbage bag. This way you can limit leaks and bad odors.
   • Make sure your trash can is properly closed and that it does not emit any odor that could attract pests.
   • Discard meat quickly to avoid maggots.
2. Burn foods with little water, such as chicken skin. (Water-rich food can explode.)
   • Use a fireplace or a grill.
   • You can also use a wood stove, but throw the food into the wood part, not the cooking part.
   • Use no Stove. You get too much smoke in your house because of this.
   • Try to do this if you were to start a fire anyway, so as not to use extra fuel. For example, after a picnic, you can burn the leftovers on the coals you used to prepare the food - and of course, don't forget to pour enough water over it before you leave.
   • There is always some ash left. You can just throw these away as you always do, after they have cooled down.
3. Flush products down the sink or toilet.
   • Soft foods - except oils and fats - can be cut into small pieces and rinsed down the sink. You can flush larger pieces down the toilet.
   • Use this method for soft foods, such as a rotten tomato, and not hard things such as bones.
   • This is an alternative option if you don't have a trash can.
4. Collect oils and fats in a container. Get rid of cooking oil and fats by pouring them into a pot, tub or other container that you want to throw away anyway. Don't pour hot oil or fat from cooking meat down your sink. This can cause problems with your sewage system that can be expensive. Oil and fat should always be disposed of and not down the sink.
   • When full, dispose of the fat jar in the trash. Do not reuse the pot.
   • You can also use leftover fat for fat balls for your garden.
   • Mix the fat with some dry leftovers, such as oatmeal, and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
   • Once it has hardened, you can hang it on a tree or in a birdhouse.
5. Do not dispose of food scraps in a septic tank or IBA. If your building has a septic tank or IBA (Individual Treatment of Waste Water) instead of a sewer connection, you may not throw food waste in here. In this case, make sure that you do not flush food, coffee grounds, oil or fat down the sink. The more solids you flush down the sink, the more often your system will need to be drained.
6. Know what food to throw away. There are foods that cannot be composted or reused, such as dried pasta, rice, bread and other grain products. Dried foods such as pasta and rice can be donated to food banks and usually have a long shelf life, so you shouldn't have to throw much of it away.
   • If you still find old pasta or rice in the back of a kitchen cupboard, it is best to simply throw them in the trash.
   • It may be tempting to give stale bread to birds, but it has little nutritional value. Moldy bread can even be dangerous for birds.
   • Dairy products cannot be recycled or composted and are best thrown in the bin.

Method 4 of 5: Keep leftovers for disposal later

1. Be careful about throwing out food too early. You cannot always get rid of your waste immediately, for example when it is collected every week. If you leave it in the bin until then, you can suffer from odors, pests and flies.
2. Use a "waste bin". It's best to use a mason jar, such as one for pickles or pasta sauce, with a tight-fitting lid.
   • You can also use plastic pots, but they sometimes let odors through.
   • Closable metal tins (e.g. for coffee) are also suitable, but they can cause a rust ring.
   • It is best to avoid cardboard. This will leak if it becomes moist from decomposing food.
   • The jar should be small enough to be used once. Do not open the jar later, because this will release odor and any (fruit) flies - unless you freeze the jar.
3. Cut the food into small pieces to put it in the pot.
4. Discard the entire trash can on garbage day. You can also dispose of the jar in the trash and then clean and reuse it, but this is a messy job that needs to be done outside.
5. Freeze food for later disposal. This will stop the decomposition process and kill any insects and larvae. You can do this with a waste container, but larger products (such as the rind of a watermelon) can also be placed whole in the freezer. It is easy to forget products in the freezer, so it might be wise to stick a post-it on the trash can.

Method 5 of 5: Fighting food waste

1. Store your food wisely. Take measures to reduce your food waste in the long run. Food that is not properly stored often spoils more quickly. By making the effort to store food more effectively, you can waste less and get more bang for your buck.
   • If you don't eat it right away, freeze fresh food so you can use it later.
   • Freeze leftovers, such as soup, stew and pasta.
   • Make sure your containers are tightly closed and stored under the right conditions.
   • For example, some foods should be kept in the refrigerator, while other foods should be kept in a cool, dry place.
2. Buy smartly. An easy way to reduce food waste is to buy less. Pay attention to how much you normally throw away, and try to adjust your shopping list accordingly. A good way to do this is to schedule your meals for the entire week, then buy all the ingredients.
   • Be careful of discounts and two-for-one deals.
   • If you don't have room for extra food, ask yourself if you're going to end up throwing it away or not.
3. Take advantage of leftovers. Another great way to cut down on food waste and really get the most out of your groceries is to use your leftovers. You can use leftovers for extra meals, snacks, or in the stock or stew. Look for recipes with the ingredients you have left. Try to use whatever you prepare. Online you can find countless useful recipes for your leftovers.
   • Preserve leftover fruits and vegetables.
   • Use your leftovers carefully. Store them sensibly in airtight containers, and put them in the refrigerator or freezer.
   • Use your leftovers within two days, and don't reheat food more than once.